Simple Summer: Caprese Spaghetti

The trifecta of tomato, basil, and mozzarella might be one of the best (or possibly the best) flavor combinations of all time. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and I’m done. It is the only thing I want to eat all summer long. A few years ago I made this delicious Caprese Pasta Salad and it is still one of my favorites. However, recently I decided to change it up and use some spaghetti and give the tomatoes a little heat to make them more tender and sauce-like.

To make up this new family favorite I sauteed a touch of garlic in olive oil, added tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and let them stew a little bit until they were hot and wilted. I loved how the tomatoes broke down but didn’t lose any flavor. In fact, stewing it made all the ingredients pull together into a light sauce. I tossed it immediately with the cooked spaghetti followed by fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. All in all the dish took just minutes to pull together and was the perfect side dish for our grilled chicken.

Recipe

Caprese Spaghetti

Ingredients

¾

box (¾ pound) spaghetti

4

garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼

cup olive oil

2

cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1

teaspoon kosher salt

½

pound fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

8

large basil leaves, torn

Instructions

1. In a large pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti and then drain and set aside.

2. In a separate pot warm the garlic and olive oil until the garlic is just turning golden brown. Then stir in the tomatoes and salt and toss them with the oil. Stew them for about 15 minutes, or until they get soft and just start to collapse.

3. Stir the tomatoes and oil into the spaghetti, then toss in the mozzarella and basil leaves. Serve warm!

Naptime Notes

Naptime Recipe Serving ideas

This awesome dish is great for a side or for a main course! We also added some shaved Parmesan, but that is completely optional.